San Jose cuts doggie poop bags from budget - San Jose Mercury News

It was a little-noticed line item in San Jose's skimpier-by-the-minute city budget. As municipal bean-counters reluctantly pared everything from cops to travel accounts, they stumbled onto a $60,000 expense that Rosalena Garrett and her German shepherd, Baybee, learned about the hard way.

As Baybee paused to poop during their morning walk around the Municipal Rose Garden, Garrett reached for a free plastic bag in the city-stocked "DogiPot" dispenser.

Empty.

Then she saw the notice advising dog owners -- and everybody else -- to watch their step: Because of budget cuts, the city had stopped buying doggie doo-doo bags.

"I was really bummed out," said Garrett, 42, who ended up trekking over to a restroom to fetch something to clean the mess, while someone barked at her to pick up after her dog. "Everyone's so used to knowing they're here."

The city's move has inspired a volunteer effort to stock the dispensers -- Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio has already forked over $1,000 for the cause. It's also touched off a debate: Just whose responsibility is it anyway to provide the means to clean up when Rover can't hold it anymore?

Lou Bojorquez, 43, said he's always brought his own bags while walking his Boston terriers, Corky and Pearl, around the Rose Garden. And he doesn't think it's too much to ask.

His jaw dropped to learn San Jose was spending $60,000 a year on bags to keep the dispensers stocked at city parks.

That's

more than he makes in a year, Bojorquez quipped, as he eyed the dispenser, which some generous soul had restocked with plastic sandwich bags.

Added Bojorquez: "Sixty thousand a year! Use it on something I can have fun with!"

Some local volunteers believe the bureaucrats in city purchasing could have cut their baggie costs by simply shopping around.

In fact, Terry Reilly, co-founder of Friends of the San Jose Rose Garden, said he's already negotiated a deal with EcoGreen Environmental for its biodegradable Pet Pouch bags for what he believes is at least half the rate the city was paying.

And now the nonprofit volunteer group that turned the once-weedy city park into a national award-winner is accepting donations to provide bags. And the group is offering to help other city residents keep their park dispensers stocked.

"We've had a lot of people who've wanted to step up," Reilly said. "We envision this going citywide."

San Jose isn't alone in dumping dog-waste bags to trim costs. Palo Alto and Sunnyvale stopped providing them years ago, as did the East Bay Regional Park District.

"Everybody's hurting," said Sunnyvale city spokesman John Pilger.

Besides, he argues, offering free bags can encourage dog owners to act irresponsibly.

"It becomes an excuse," Pilger said. "People say, 'Hey, we were counting on your bags.' "

But other cities such as Cupertino still think it's a great idea to offer the bags as a courtesy.

Mark Linder, Cupertino's parks and recreation director, believes it's worth the $18,000 a year the city spends to stock dispensers at its 19 parks.

But why can't dog owners just bring their own?

"They should," Linder replied. "But they don't always remember to bring them."

Rose Garden regulars agree. They say most people carry their own stash but still like the security of knowing there are extra bags available if needed.

Garrett said she "noticed more potty left" after the budget cut took effect last month. She assumes it's because some people just won't bother to pick up if it's not convenient.

"We need garbage cans and poopy bags," agreed Cindy Borkenhagen, 60, as she walked Buchi, her Chihuahua, and Jessie, her rat terrier, with her own bag poking from her pocket. "Or people won't cooperate."

Contact John Woolfolk at 408-975-9346.

29 Aug, 2011

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